[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6123523,"mediaKeyId","2689493-30ccb85dab17a975493407d53609cfe2","parentId",2689493,"title","Lawmakers press MEDC on nondisclosure agreements and local involvement for Mundy Township site","audioSeconds",1859,"startMs",3085000,"endMs",4944000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2689493-30ccb85dab17a975493407d53609cfe2&start=3085&end=4944","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2689493-30ccb85dab17a975493407d53609cfe2/thumbnail_3085000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6123523/Michigan/Lawmakers-press-MEDC-on-nondisclosure-agreements-and-local-involvement-for-Mundy-Township-site","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6123523-cfd2435b6d161f273b8a683745861081/orig.mp4?Expires=1771171189&Signature=lxMj~lxXgFCLyQ6iIPiMqzWBlACdWdYoK7mYjZq02mWgdQKuEDrWz7VBGpaSmKWb7Vgu-6EmaIcO-W6RjHioqQSwiEYID5eWTzpsli1H1KM4Zd6c-JthTQJdqhOtf9Id3wC3GUtEoiDaXgKMHvTAKf0l~ue~6CVtpep~9UCnV4ryItxLiHs4gE8nSx9jJAepxqItI1yFL~aztZkVU1FNBVKLjp7eLaaLKE~5w96H7eLfsaN8FTvOYsXu3U79FfNbu-0xrY~EeBrf4gevbwfYnqn8DWzEW06JtcZb~M1F~0POQQx4NRMQlQCNW8ZGgqq9A16RXNOEZNI2nUrKgCZ7Gg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Michigan Legislature","date","2025-03-13T00:00:00Z","article","Representative Bagole said she was representing constituents near the Mundy Township site and told MEDC that a nondisclosure agreement “did not take into consideration the voice of the people who live there” and that she had “no seat at the table” while discussions proceeded.

Nut graf: Multiple committee members pressed MEDC leadership on when NDAs are appropriate, how the agency manages transparency for locally affected residents, and whether state protections such as clawbacks and public approvals adequately protect taxpayers and communities.

Director Quentin Messer responded that MEDC faces a tradeoff when companies request confidentiality during site selection and recruitment. Messer said such agreements can be a gating requirement to participate in a competitive process and argued the state’s public oversight steps follow any confidential phase: “MEDC only recommends projects. The Michigan Strategic Fund Board approves the process,” Messer said, adding that large funding approvals also come before the House and Senate appropriations committees under current practice.

Messer acknowledged the public‑process concerns and said nondisclosure agreements “should not be blanket” but that he would not want Michigan excluded from consideration by companies if MEDC refused to sign a requested NDA. He framed the balance as legal and competitive, citing securities-law risks and the need to preserve Michigan’s ability to compete for projects.

Representative Bridal asked whether MEDC’s actions preempt local land‑use decisions and Messer replied that “Michigan is a strong home rule state” and MEDC does not preempt local zoning or land‑use approvals. Bagole and other members pressed on timing and constituent notice; Bagole said lack of early information hampered her ability to represent residents during the site planning period.

Representative Harris and others raised accountability and taxpayer protection questions. Messer said MEDC agreements generally include clawback provisions and that MEDC maintains a compliance team; he said most agreements are performance‑reimbursable and contain provisions that guard against change‑of‑control evasion. He offered to provide legislative staff with specifics on clawbacks and compliance figures.

Ending: MEDC agreed to follow up with additional details, and members requested briefings on program limits, site‑readiness tools and how clawbacks and contract renegotiations are handled. No formal actions were taken; the exchange was recorded as committee testimony and inquiry.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Economic Competitiveness - 3/13/2025","oneSentenceSummary","Representatives raised concerns that nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) used during site recruitment limited local knowledge about the Mundy Township Advanced Manufacturing District of Genesee County and asked how MEDC balances confidentiality with public participation and legislative oversight.","taxTitle","2025 House Legislature MI, Michigan","taxId",77683,"location","Michigan","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6123528,"MEDC presents 'Make It in Michigan' strategy emphasizing people, places and projects",2058,315000,2373000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2689493-30ccb85dab17a975493407d53609cfe2&start=315&end=2373","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2689493-30ccb85dab17a975493407d53609cfe2/thumbnail_315000.jpg","/articles/6123528/Michigan/MEDC-presents-Make-It-in-Michigan-strategy-emphasizing-people-places-and-projects","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6123528-903ab71ee4437360d40cf89435a014d1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771171189&Signature=U9Tk2T4tG~7GBxlyEZqDbU~S-qgJWCygr4lH4NF1WDhryRT6PpPBb1w4Dn4JO7L0Rbn4OgGkMUQN0wTufTD3qD5QA-jzNqfrH1fg07zpu0o7TBxCqMpwEHwAvP0kastyrNCeknNcX~7BK0sVfEry4~vxFjPD-5qZIG3hCZC2L58u6FpHUgHVkGynUIolbWLAnrPY86kcJ7el9aJniSSPXKB69R295289H1lIZeq7KJE0TEMMrpYS0NvRC11rWHqhWJs6p8tmu-QE6JVgcDsKx-gRlGdfvItObcGWKQPkerYmNgjZzq0RnEuskEOkGsjyvN238nerQIlsy3C7HCqIkQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Director Quentin Messer, director of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, told the House Committee on Economic Competitiveness that MEDC’s Make It in Michigan economic development strategy centers on three pillars: people, places and projects.

The nut graf: Messer and Hillary Doe, the agency’s chief growth officer and chief marketing officer, told legislators that the integrated approach aims to align workforce development, community revitalization and business attraction tools so companies can both recruit and retain talent and scale production in Michigan.

Messer said MEDC organizes work across 10 prosperity regions and partners with local economic development organizations, small business development centers, the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center and 20 entrepreneurial “smart zones” to tailor assistance by region. “We are not trying to dictate from Lansing,” Messer said, describing regional teams that support local partners.

On the people pillar, Hillary Doe described talent programs including the Michigan Talent Solutions Division, an AI-driven career portal tied to a talent-attraction campaign and the Michiganders Scholars Program for top engineering and tech students linked to mobility, semiconductor and aerospace employers. Doe said the campaign produced 27,000 people who “got all the way down the funnel” and expressed interest in living and working in Michigan in about 18 months of operation.

On places, MEDC highlighted Michigan Main Streets and other placemaking programs. Messer and Doe said Michigan Main Streets placemaking projects in fiscal 2024 are projected to leverage roughly $3.9 billion in private investment and reactivate about 6.4 million square feet of public space. They said community revitalization awards and brownfield tax-increment financing have been combined to support mixed‑use projects, citing a redevelopment in Marquette anchored by a brewery and four new housing units.

On projects, MEDC described the Michigan Business Development Program, a recurring business attraction and community revitalization (BACR) budget line the presenters said is $100 million annually, strategic site‑readiness work, small business lending and targeted supports for manufacturing and technology. Messer said Michigan added about 46,000 jobs in MEDC’s focus industries between 2021 and 2024 and that, in absolute numbers, that gain ranked fifth nationally and first in the Midwest for those industries.

Messer also outlined MEDC’s role in aligning state tools with anticipated federal industrial policy, including potential CHIPS-related opportunities. He described the agency as a recommending body: MEDC evaluates and recommends projects while the Michigan Strategic Fund and other public processes provide final approvals. “MEDC only recommends projects. The Michigan Strategic Fund Board approves,” Messer said.

Committee members asked about practical navigation of MEDC programs. Messer invited legislators to bring MEDC to local town halls and company visits, and said the agency’s external affairs staff can serve as a concierge for legislators to connect constituents with appropriate programs. Doe and Messer offered to run follow‑up briefings, including a walkthrough of the MEDC website’s program pages.

Ending: Messer and Doe left legislators with further materials and contact information and offered to return for follow-ups. Committee members thanked the presenters and moved to adjourn, with the committee approving prior minutes by unanimous consent earlier in the session.","Director Quentin Messer and MEDC chief growth officer Hillary Doe told the House Committee on Economic Competiveness that the 'Make It in Michigan' strategy focuses on talent, placemaking and project readiness and highlighted program results and metrics including job gains, leveraged private investment and talent-campaign interest.","actionData","errors"]

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Lawmakers press MEDC on nondisclosure agreements and local involvement for Mundy Township site

MEDC presents 'Make It in Michigan' strategy emphasizing people, places and projects